is sports betting legal in alaska?
No. Alaska isn’t one of the states that has legalized sports betting. While there have been a couple of attempts by lawmakers (2020 & 2022) to legalize sports betting in Alaska, neither effort made much progress through the legislative process. While there is some appetite for sports betting amongst sports fans in Alaska, thus far that desire hasn’t been shared by lawmakers in the state. However, it’s worth noting that Daily Fantasy Sports operators like FanDuel do operate in Alaska because there are no specific laws banning DFS contest apps.
Alaska quick facts
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Launch Date: Not Legalized
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Legal Betting Age: n/a
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Online Sports Betting: No
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Online Casino Sites: No
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Online Poker Sites: No
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Best Available Sportsbook: N/A
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Regulatory Body: American Gaming Association
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Legal online sportsbooks: 0
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College Sports Betting: No
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Political or entertainment betting: No
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High School sports Betting: No
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Esports betting: No
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NFL Draft: No
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Remote registration: No
timeline of betting legislation & latest news
Alaska lawmakers have never voted on a bill to legalize sports betting in the state, but there have been a couple attempts to make it happen since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed individual states to legalize sports betting in 2018. There were efforts in 2000 and 2022 to legalize sports betting in Alaska, but neither one got serious traction and there is no indication that legalized sports betting will be coming to the state any time soon.
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may 14, 2018
U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), paving the way for each state to legalize sports betting.
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february 12, 2020
Governor Mike Dunleavy introduced legislation (SB 188/HB 246) that would legalize a state lottery and sports betting, but the bill never made it out of committee.
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february 22, 2022
Rep. Adam Wool introduced House Bill 385 (HB 385), a bill to bring mobile sports wagering to Alaska.
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february 23, 2023
HB 385 referred to the Labor and Commerce Committee, but that’s where it stalled.
how to start betting in alaska
Unfortunately, there are no legal sports betting options in Alaska. However, if that changes anytime in the near future, we’ll update this page so consider bookmarking it and checking back for updates. There are casinos on Native American land in Alaska, but you won’t find sports betting (or slot machines) in those spaces.
Daily Fantasy Sports companies like FanDuel do operate in Alaska, however, so that’s the closest you can get to betting on your favorite MLB, NFL, NBA, or NHL teams.
daily fantasy sports in alaska
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) providers like FanDuel do operate in Alaska, because DFS contests haven’t been explicitly outlawed in The Last Frontier. DFS sites also haven’t officially been made legal by lawmakers as they have in some other states. Daily Fantasy Sports sites allow users to wager and win prize money based on the performance of athletes like Geno Smith or DK Metcalf.
home field advantage
Alaska doesn’t have any professional sports teams from the four major sports. Due to proximity, professional sports franchises from Oregon and Washington tend to be favorites for Alaska sports fans. From June to August, the Alaska Baseball League (ABL), a wooden bat league, showcases teams like the Anchorage Glacier Pilots and the Peninsula Oilers.
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NFL – Seattle Seahawks: Football fans in Alaska can’t call the Seahawks their hometown team, but there’s some love for Seattle in The Last Frontier. The Seahawks won the Super Bowl in 2013 thanks to names like Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman and Marshawn Lynch. Under Pete Carroll, the Seahawks made the playoffs 10 times between 2010 and 2023. With new coach Mike Macdonald at the helm, fans in Alaska are hoping for similar success.
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NBA – Portland Trail Blazers: The Trail Blazers haven’t finished with a winning season since 2021, but prior to that, they had a nice run of eight-straight playoff appearances including a Western Conference Finals appearance during the 2018-2019 season. You have to go all the way back to the 1975-1976 season for Portland’s last NBA championship, but they made the finals in 1990 and 1992 thanks to Terry Porter and Clyde Drexler.
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MLB – Seattle Mariners: Some of the most iconic baseball players to ever live played for the Mariners. Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, Ichiro Suzuki, Edgar Martinez, and Alex Rodriguez were fun to watch hone their craft in Seattle. The Mariners have only made the playoffs one time (2022) since 2002 but at least Seattle has strung together four consecutive winning seasons.
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NHL – Seattle Kraken: Seattle released the Kraken during the 2021-2022 NHL season and quickly caught the eye of sports fans in Alaska. The Kraken had a rough first season only winning 27 games, but they quickly rebounded and got to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs the following year under former coach Dave Hakstol. New coach Dan Bylsma hopes to get the Kraken back to their winning ways in the near future.
Anyone in Alaska struggling with gambling addiction can call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER or text 800GAM. A chat option is also available at 1800gamblerchat.org. Alaska doesn’t have the robust state-specific resources that other states have, but help is still available to those struggling with problematic gambling behavior at a national level. Gamblers Anonymous is also a great resource for those who are interested in group meetings with other people going through the same thing. Gamblers Anonymous’ phone number is 909-931-9056.